Above all, we must recognize that our criminal justice system is deeply unjust and structurally inequitable - especially for BIPOC communities. We stand firmly with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and in solidarity with local families impacted by police violence. Check out our recent town hall with impacted families.

I will prioritize:

• Reimagining public safety with a public health lens. This means leading with restorative models grounded in comprehensive wrap-around services, multiplying support in our existing alternatives to incarceration, and increasing public investments in living-wage, community jobs.
• Divesting from harmful systems and re-investing in community-based systems and funding upstream services like Best Starts for Kids and Community Passageways, we can increase the impact of those and other initiatives that are doing liberation work on the ground in the community every day.
• Establishing truly independent community oversight above and beyond the County’s Office of Law Enforcement Oversight (OLEO) which is a part of the negotiations process for the Collective Bargaining Agreement that governs labor policy with the Sheriff’s Office and King County Police Officers’ Guild.

As a black mother, immigrant and former refugee, and a community organizer with a human services background I have worked to help communities access the services that are vital to them and to give them a better voice at the policy making table. From refugee resettlement, housing, workforce development, school partnerships, and managing prenatal to five program strategies, I have experienced personally and seen first-hand the impact these types of upstream investments make – especially when resources are allocated with the direct input of impacted communities.